Patrick Costello
Question:652. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the status of the dedicated family law courts complex at Hammond Lane; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36161/20]
View answerTuesday, 17 November 2020
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Written answers
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to build a new family law court building in Dublin and ensure that court facilities across the country are suitable for family law hearings, so that these hearings can be held separately from other cases.
The total capital budget for the Courts Service in 2020 is €66.017 million, €15.380 million of which will be allocated for courthouse capital works for a variety of courthouses around the country and which will also allow for ongoing preparatory work on a dedicated Dublin Family Court complex on Hammond Lane.
My Department has, working with the Courts Service, been able to secure sufficient additional funding to allow the Hammond Lane Project to go ahead. While not in a position to provide exact figures as the future project will have to go to public tender, it will deliver a modern fit for purpose family court for the citizens of Dublin. The OPW will present revised plans for such a facility to the Court Service Building Committee meeting scheduled for 12 December next. I am informed by the Court Service that it is expected that the final plans will be considered at the Courts Board meeting in January.
I am confident that the new Family Courts Project in Hammond Lane will be an important step towards reforming the family courts system in Ireland. Now that additional funding has been provided, I look forward to the commencement of this project shortly, following the deliberations of the Board of the Court Service, as appropriate.